Lamp into the Lonely Heart
by MissBunny888
Summary: CHAPTER 5-- Norman tells Cara the story of how Roger inherited Big-O.
1. Default Chapter

A Lamp into the Lonely Heart  
  
1:45 AM in outside space  
  
"Alert, alert! Please evacuate the space station in an orderly manner. No pushing." Called the voice on the intercom. People paid no heed to his plea; they shoved and pulled, pushed and yelled loudly. Everyone wanted to get off the station. Children screamed, some even lost. Loads of people crowded to the docks, wanting to get to earth as fast as possible.  
  
Space Station Hayley 167 was self-disrupting. It was an old ship for its time, forty years to be exact. After it launched in to outside space, strange things went on inside the station. People paid no heed to the warnings, however. Life went on as usual. The once- earth inhabitants married each other, had kids even on the station. For the first time, life occurred in outside space. But now it turned fatal.  
  
The now heavily crowded space docks were filled with people. Person by terrified person was loaded on to a space capsule, many gave sad farewells to their loved ones, praying they would see each other again.  
  
But no one noticed the two teenagers at the middle of the dock. One was a tall male, glasses, and dark brown hair. He held the hand of another teenager, a female, with long sandy blond hair, and large green eyes. The male pushed and pushed through the crowd with the girl be hind him, until he hurriedly reached the loading section. There was a loud "BANG!" from somewhere nearby. The two looked up where the sound was heard, with terror in their hearts.  
  
"Drew," said the girl hurriedly. "Drew, come on, hurry! The ship's going to blow up any moment!" Drew turned back to the girl. He looked deeply in to her eyes. He knew there was not enough time to load two people at once. One person had a good chance at making it to earth. The capsule would be able to go faster. 'Everyone else is putting multiple people in to the capsules,' he thought to himself. 'Stupid fools, they'll be killed before the even reach the earth's atmosphere'  
  
"Look," he said to the teenage girl. "There's not enough time for two people. Go on without me, I'll get a capsule later" "No!" She said horrified. It'll blow up at any minute-" There was another "BANG!" and the dock shook violently. The girl fell in to the capsule's cockpit. This gave Drew an opportunity to strap her in before she could protest. "Nooo!" she screamed. He paid no attention to her protests, her pleas or her screaming. She had to get to safety. Drew closed the door to the capsule. He locked it, and peered inside the bluegrass window. The girl was looking on the other side, at him, her face streaming with glittering tears. "Go to Earth, Cara. You'll be safe there. You'll survive." He said slowly. He ran away from the capsule and closed the door in front of him. He gunned the engine button on the keyboard which was on the wall, and watched as the second door be hind Cara's capsule open, and she speed away in to the blackness. Only minutes later the entire station blew apart in to a fury of heat and broken metal. Drew only made it as far as the next capsule's door until he was caught into the intense heat and energy.  
  
5:30, PM, 5 DAYS LATER, PARADIGN CITY  
  
Business was going slow for Roger Smith. Nothing in the 'Fighting the Evil Badguy' category had be done in a week, which meant the Big-O lay dormant beneath the city's feet, waiting until Roger summoned it. The young negotiator had only one meeting today; concerning an old friend of his. Max Middleton was an ex-cop that Roger knew from being on the force. He got into trouble with some thugs a few years before, and to not find himself in a morgue he let them hit him up for money whenever they needed or wanted it. But now that Middleton was getting old on years, and his retirement money growing smaller, he had to find out a way to stop the scalawags from getting him bankrupt.  
  
So why not call on his old buddy the negotiator to help him? Roger wasn't reluctant to take the job.  
  
Roger turned the key into the ignition, and drove out of the large garage. He was heading to the park, in fact the only park in the city (Which was artificial, of course). Max had said, "to settle the arrangements"- or as he had put it- "without interference." Roger questioned what the meant over and over in his head ever since he heard the phone call the day before. But the tone of Max's voice wasn't only unusual, to Roger it was completely unnatural. Something was wrong, he knew it.  
  
He turned into a large parking lot a block near the park, secured his car, and walked the rest of the way.  
  
At a quarter 'til six he met his old friend near the fountains. Greeting him politely, Roger seated Max and himself on to a bench.  
  
"So, what's going on, Max? Why did you want me to meet you here?"  
  
"Look Roger, you're a darn fine negotiator, best one in fact- but, I need to close down the negotiation." he said candidly. Roger choked.  
  
"W-What? Close it down? Why?" Then it hit him. Roger mentally kicked himself. 'Of course, the thugs! They must have got wind of it and are forcing him to close it down.'  
  
"Max, no one's forcing you in to this are they?" he questioned seriously. Max quickly narrowed his eyes unnaturally at me and stood up.  
  
"Of course not! I just need to close this down!"  
  
Well, that was it. Max left the park, and left Roger on the lonely bench. He was annoyed. He hated when clients were bad liars and plainly showed it. What was worse was that many of those clients expected him to buy them all. He angrily got up from the bench and started to his car a block away, roughly kicking small piles of leaves. Roger was getting ready to violently boot a large bunch, when he noticed a shiny glinting object nearby. He came closer to it, and it proved to be a small piece of shiny metal. More seemed to follow, some glints shone in the forest. Confused and curious, Roger decided to go that way, following the tiny scraps. Roger carefully tried to avoid low limbs and protruding roots and rocks, but being human, tripped several times. He climbed deeper and deeper in to the black forest. Every now and then he looked at the ground, checking his trail. The further he went, the more metal he spied. Roger's curiosity grew rapidly, steadily rising still.  
  
Roger found a last set of bushes and tree limbs, and carefully pulled them apart. What he saw next almost made him fall flat on the ground. There, before Roger's eyes, was a large, circular object. It had smashed into a nearby tree trunk, the dents on the object clearly visible over the splintered wood.  
  
"What the!?" Roger spat astounded. It was definitely some kind of transportation device, to Roger that was obvious. But where was it from? More importantly, what was in there? Roger wanted to find out. He searched for a handle; anything to sink his gloved hands in. He began to wipe off dirt from the object with both hands, and in doing so, found the edge of a door. It was only open an inch, yet Roger put his fingers into the small opening and began to pry. The door would not give, however. Roger tried to tug harder, but only to find his fingers slip slightly. He stumbled backwards from the force with an "Oomph!"  
  
Slightly out of breath, Roger decided to go another round. This time he would give more effort. He readjusted his fingers again, and began to pry harder. This time the door gave in, and with another tug from Roger, it began to lift up slowly. Now very out of breath, and sweating slightly, Roger peered in to the capsule.  
  
What he saw next almost made him faint with shock. Beneath the dirt, the broken devices, and electrical parts, lay a young girl about the age of fourteen or fifteen. The bloody cut on her forehead gave the reason to why she was unconscious. Roger was astounded the cut was the only thing she got. 'She needs help' he thought to himself. And with that, he whipped out a communicator.  
  
"Any info on her, Roger?" Said Dan Dastun ten minutes later as he took notes frantically. They were still in the park, yet now the section where Roger had found the girl was completely squared-off by yellow ribbons.  
  
"Nope. Although it seems she's probably from some kind of space station-"  
  
"Now I find that hard to believe. There's no reports, no info at all on a launched space station!" Dan Dastun said. Roger sighed, and started to walk back to the Griffon.  
  
The phone rang at three the next morning. Roger, asleep in his black sheets, was slowly brought back to earth. An arm appeared from the sheets, and groped for the phone.  
  
"H-Hello?" he said still groggy.  
  
"Uh, yes, Mr. Smith, we detected signs that the girl you discovered yesterday has shown signs of waking up and-" The doctor was cut short by the yawn poorly stifled by Roger.  
  
"Sorry, I tried to stop it, I'm awake now."  
  
"Er, yes. Well the girl is now waking up and you told me sir, to call when she did."  
  
"Right. I'll be right there." He replied. 'And maybe-' he thought to himself-'she knows of anything that Paradigm doesn't.'  
  
Roger got dressed quickly and headed for the elevator. He was about to open the elevator gate when a steady voice sounded from behind.  
  
"Where are you going Roger?" Said the android known as Dorothy. Roger spun around, surprised. Shouldn't she be sleeping?  
  
"Dorothy! Why are you here?" he said, not hiding his surprise.  
  
"I live here, have you forgotten, Roger Smith?" she said to what seemed unemotionally.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way, Dorothy. Why are you up at this hour?" he said, annoyed. 'Why are you?' she thought to herself. Dorothy wanted to know where he was going; though she probably already knew why. "It is that girl, is it? That girl you found." Said Dorothy. She said this in her usual steady voice, but there was a hint of jealousy in the tone that Roger did not detect. He sighed, and thought to him-self 'Right on the dot as usual,'  
  
"She woke up just after I phoned you, Mr. Smith." The doctor said when Roger arrived at Paradigm's only hospital. He pushed the door open, to reveal the girl that Roger had found the day before. She was indeed awake, sitting up in the bed, looking lost. She looked towards the two as they came in, in a confused state.  
  
"Who. Are you?" she asked confused. Roger stepped forward and introduced himself.  
  
"My name's Roger Smith, I work as a negotiator here."  
  
"Mr. Smith is the one who found you," informed the doctor to the girl.  
  
"Oh, well," she said softly. "My name's Cara, I used to live in space station, but then you already knew that." Roger gave Cara a kind smile, but then it turned serious.  
  
"About the station, Miss Cara, was anything wrong before it exploded?"  
  
Cara's eyes softened, she looked down clutching the white sheets of her bed.  
  
"I heard of the errors and difficulties that happened after it's launch forty years ago, and there were some break down in various areas of the ship when I was there, but the explosion, it was so fast and sudden, we don't now what caused the problem." she began to bite her lip. She couldn't stop the image floating in her mind, the one of her best friend, Drew. She knew he was dead, she had somehow sensed and knew it, but it still was hard to believe.  
  
Miles away, at that moment Dorothy gazed in to the sunrise, fully taking in its view. The light couldn't hurt her eyes, so she gazed on. The wind blew in her hair, yet she was thinking of one thing.  
  
'Roger Smith, please tell me I'm human, because only humans can fell love.'  
  
  
  
What do you think! Yeah, no romance between R&D yet, but that will change with new stories. And what about the girl? Is she gonna get in the way? No, she gonna do the opposite.. Read to find out next! -Bunny 


	2. Getting Used to Roger, Dorothy and Norma...

AN: Hi

AN: Hi! Thanx for the reviews! Yeah, the first chapter had   
NO action, NO romance, but foreshadowing. (DUN DUN   
DUN!) Some of you people wanted more Drama, more   
Adventure, I expect, and of course, more Norman! (How could   
I have been so blind? No Norman, What have I done!?) But, sadly, all the action will start in the next chapter, but this part is important as well...   
  
At the end of the last chapter: Cara begins to feel   
depressed about her friend Drew who put her in to the   
Capsule all alone, which saved her life, but not his...   
  
Cara released her grip from the sheets slowly, trying hard   
to put her friend to the back of her mind. She didn't want to   
have to think about him right now, his last smile was still   
fresh in her mind. She had never known that he would do   
that for her. After all, they were just friends weren't they?   
Why did he sacrifice himself? Why?   
The doctor' voice cut in to her thoughts, and she looked   
up.   
... "There's not enough room for Cara to go in to a   
children's orphanage, and she's a bit too young to live by   
herself, but hey, there's always room for one mo-" Roger   
had raised his hand. Cara turned her attention over to him.   
'What was he about to do?' her countenance was in an   
expression of amazement. He wasn't going to do what she   
thought was he? "If you don't mind my asking," He said   
smiling down at Cara, "but I don't mind if Cara were to   
stay with me until you find a place for her." The doctor was   
ecstatic. His face exploded to a smile, while Cara stared wide eyed at the wealthy business man. Even Roger was a bit surprised himself at his actions.   
"By all means, Mr. Smith, we would be very happy   
to give Cara a good home!" said the happy doctor. Roger   
looked over at the girl, giving a kind smile. She returned it   
shyly, her expression still in a confused gaze.   
  
That evening Roger returned home to his supper still   
hot and ready to eat, as if Norman knew exactly when he   
was coming home. The girl was to have a few more days of   
recovery, which gave Roger enough time to prepare. Why   
Roger spoke up in the first place, he didn't know. But for some reason he   
didn't want her shipped around like a doll from home to   
home.   
Norman stood beside him as he ate his dinner, Dorothy   
was across the table, quietly "drinking" tea. He ate in   
silence, the clanking of the fork to his plate sounding like   
breaking china. Some times he hated silence, but he   
wouldn't want Dorothy to break it with a piano piece   
either. He decided to tell them the news right now, wanting   
to get the shock over with. He put down his fork gently.   
Clapping his hands together, (which made Norman jump   
slightly and Dorothy to look up from her teacup,) he   
announced, "Norman, Dorothy, were going to have a   
visitor..."   
  
Cara nervously leaned against the wall of the fancy   
Smith elevator. Three days had passed since the man   
known as Roger accepted into taking her in to his home.   
Then she was confused, but happy to say the least, to have   
a home in this strange city. She was not used to seeing blue   
skies, nor was she used to seeing clouds, grass dirt or trees.   
She was scared of this new world. Sure she had learned   
about the Earth, she had studied the same things that   
students on Earth studied, yet she didn't understand many   
things that they did. Swimming, what was that? Kite flying,   
What's a kite? She had so much to learn, so much to see,   
but she was afraid all the same.   
The elevator door opened, a bit too soon for Cara, but   
she walked bravely out of the door and paused around her   
new surroundings. She was in a hallway, with pretty red   
rugs and expensive vases.   
She looked up from all the fancy Chinese rugs to come eye to eye with a woman. Her hair was dark red, her eyes black and emotionless. She wore a pretty evening dress, which was mostly black.   
"How do you do?" said Cara kindly. The woman tapped her right toe against her left heel and gave a graceful curtsy. She looked up at Cara and said, "Come this way, please."   
The woman led Cara into a lovely living room with kindly photos and comfortable chairs. Two men were in the room, one she recognized as Roger, the other, an older man, with an eye patch and a kind and peaceful countenance. Roger walked over to the two, and said hello.   
"Hello Cara, well be having dinner in a moment, but let me introduce you to Dorothy Wayneright, and my butler Norman." Cara looked up at Dorothy, who returned no emotion. She glanced at Roger for a moment and asked,   
"Is Dorothy your girlfriend?"   
"Uh...well.... Er..." Roger stuttered. His face broke into a confused expression and sweat formed on his face. Dorothy looked toward Cara, and replied for Roger. "I hired him as my bodyguard, and in return I work for him." That settled the incident. Cara was apologetic, Roger was still stammering, and Dorothy resumed her usual expression when Norman announced dinner five minutes later holding the door for them. Norman winked his only eye toward Cara in a congratulatory way. Cara sat down in a chair at the long table that was laid before her, whereas Dorothy took her place on the very far end. Roger took his seat at the other end. They began to eat, Roger discussing the rules of the house. "Rule one, Every one in this house must wear black..."Cara, obviously confused, looked toward Dorothy, then Norman, and Roger, all of which wore black. "Rule two, No one touches my desk," This rule Cara could respect. But the first rule was awkward. Some people would have just given up and left, of course, having heard the list go on, but Cara herself liked challenges. The dinner progressed, and soon ended. After talking in the living room, every one went to bed full and tired.   
  
  
Roger groaned as he woke slowly and painfully. Dorothy was banging the piano as usual, trying to get him up. He dressed in robes and slippers and made his way in to the living room.   
"R. Dorothy Wayneright!" He said hotly toward Dorothy on the piano bench. "Geeez," he said with a face as if he were in pain, "its one thing to do it to me, but it's another thing to wake up our guest-" he stopped before noticing Cara was on the bench as well. She was up, seemingly enjoying the piano recital, already dressed. "You mean to tell me you like her playing!?" he asked accusingly. She giggled at Roger. "Yes, Mr. Smith. She plays it well don't you think?" Roger grumbled and made his way in to his bedroom muttering disdainfully.   
  
All right! No action! But that's gonna change! Go on to the next chapter!   
  
  



	3. Cara the Pilot!

I posted two chapters at the same time so that you guys wouldn't get so bored with the last two actionless chapters

I posted two chapters at the same time so that you guys wouldn't get so bored with the last two actionless chapters. This one had action!   
  
In the last Chapter… Cara arrives to the Smith household, and starts to get used to the strange happenings around the house, Pianos and all!   
  
A few days passed through the Smith house uneventfully, unless you counted the usual butting of heads that Roger and Dorothy always did. This was extremely funny to Cara, who secretly like the idea of them as a couple.   
She had been there long enough to know what Roger thought of Dorothy. She was an android, a machine designed to mimic human habits. Dorothy, on the other hand, only defended herself when he implied this, whether he did it politely or unintentionally. This was how the fight always begun, and this always resulted in Norman braking it up.   
Cara easily adjusted to the rules and the unfamiliar happenings of the house. Many times during the day when Roger and Dorothy were out with negotiations, Norman would disappear from what ever he was doing and Run to the basement. On the same days News reported appearances of the Megadeus, whatever that was, battling a monster or giant robot. Strange, Cara thought. Earth is a very strange place.   
  
True, as the autumn days got cooler, and Cara more used to her new surroundings, Roger thought is best to send her to Paradigm's only high school. There she could mix with her own age group, rather than spend her time with a negotiator, a butler, and an android all day.   
  
  
Roger came home late the next night. Tired and hungry, he undid his tie and unstrapped his watch, which he both put on a coffee table. Roger went to the kitchens to scrounge for a late supper, which only consisted on leftover pork, salad and pudding.   
The next morning proved hectic. Sure as though Norman and Dorothy got up on time, but Cara and Roger failed to wake. It was only a few minutes before Roger that she hurriedly emerged out of her room, and immediately began to take a shower. Meanwhile, Roger slept soundly in his own bed on the other side of the house, having quiet, relaxing dreams until Dorothy decided to play a fast, rousing piece.   
"Dorothy," he said gritting his teeth. "Someday I'm going to introduce that piano to a sledgehammer…"   
Cara on the other hand, got out of the one of many bathrooms, ran to her room, and began to comb her hair while buttoning her school uniform at the same time. By the time breakfast came about, Cara wolfed it down quickly, and headed for the door.   
"OH! I've forgot my watch…" She made a dash for the coffee table, and scooped up the watch and also some loose change, and ran into the elevator door.   
  
The school bell was ringing by the time Cara got off Norman's motorcycle. (Roger was still asleep, Dorothy decided what it would be like to see him zoom from the room, late for a client, so she chose not to play the piano) Cara ran to where the other students were going, and blended in with the young crowd.   
The first few periods went fine, and she made a few friends. By the time gym came around, Cara was discouraged. Her gym uniform was a large white shirt and a tight short set that went to her knees. She felt uncomfortable in her uniform, and the fact that Volleyball proved to be very hard for her didn't help either.   
  
Meanwhile Roger groaned in his sleep, and with a twist of his body he fell out of the bed with a thump. Roger would have just slept there, but finally seeing the light escaping through the window blinds, realized how late it was.   
"DOROTHY!!!!" He shrieked, "WHY DIDN"T YOU WAKE ME UP!!!???" Roger sped to his bathroom, where he gelled his hair and brushed his teeth. Dorothy came in as far as the doorframe and replied, "I thought you might want to sleep in a bit," Roger grumbled at this. "If I had woken you up you would have been mad anyway."   
By the time her speech was over Roger was now ready and dragged (or tried very hard to) Dorothy to the car. They were now walking in the middle of the city, trying very hard to make it to Roger's client in time. If only they could have taken the car, but alas, there was a parade on this street, for one of Paradigm's holidays. The place on this street was crowded. Roger edged on through the crowd, Dorothy at his side.   
  
Cara was very discouraged near the end of the gym hour. Many times the ball had came sailing to her, but missed it completely. One time it hit her in the nose! She decided to sit out, and made her way to the fence. She began to feel put out. It would have been a different situation indeed if all the other students didn't laugh at her, or insult her for injuring their chances of winning. She sat against the fence, her head on her knees, eyes brimming with tears.   
  
Roger pushed farther and farther into the crowd, cursing madly to himself. Why did he sleep in? This would had never of happened if Dorothy woke him up earlier. But then again She herself had said that he would have been mad anyway for awaking him. Roger had to admit Dorothy was right.   
The parade had started. The floats and balloons faced Roger and Dorothy, While they were going from which the floats came from.   
Suddenly out came a cry, and the banging of metal and concrete told Roger what was coming next. A Robot, much taller than Roger's Megaduce, came in behind the parade, and started to wreck the place.   
"Crap!" Roger said as he pulled his left hand to his mouth. "Big O, it's ShowTime-" but Roger paused. Where was his watch?   
  
Cara abruptly stopped crying when she heard a series of beeping. She stood up, finding the source to the noise. The watch…Whose watch was that!? She was not allowed to answer for a loud noise erupted from under ground. Manhole covers popped up, sailing until they clanged to the concrete ground. Cara was in awe. "What's- what's happening?"   
  
While Roger looked all over the ground for his watch, Dorothy calmly looked towards the opposite side of the street. "Roger, look over there, next to the fence by that volleyball court."   
Roger, who was on his hands and knees by now, angrily looked over. He stared in awe. "CARA!" he yelled.   
  
The concrete broke apart like tissue paper, al though it had more noise. What was coming through the ground, was something Cara had never seen before, a head was tearing through the rock, a large, emotionless head. It's shoulders followed, and a hand came through the rock, right under Cara. Scared, horrified, she was steadily rising through the air and she didn't dare jump off.   
  
"Cara!" Roger cried out again. He began to run to the large Robot, but Dorothy stopped him.   
"We should go back to your house, Roger, we can help her there."   
  
Cara bit her lip. 'What to do, what to do?' she thought to herself. She was still on the Robot's hand, clutching the thumb for dear life. She then noticed the Robot's face. And below it was a red window like thing. Her eyes widened, it was an opening. If she was going to stay up her for a while she might as well go in there. At least she wouldn't fall. She slowly let go of the large thumb that she strapped herself to, and tried to get up the shoulder. Thankfully the robot didn't move, ('How could it though?' she thought. 'It has no pilot!') And Cara made her way up to the elbow, and climbed up as best she could. Through many tries, she finally pushed herself up on to the shoulder, and made her way across to the large window, where she jumped in, apparently exhausted. She took a look at her surroundings, and found it to be a cockpit. She had no time to take in her amazement when she heard beeps. A screen lit up in front of her and said the words: "CAST IN THE NAME OF GOOD/ GOD, YE NOT GUILTY" (I don't know which one to put, choose the one you like.)   
  
Roger raced from the car in his garage, and ran to the control room. "Norman, try to contact Cara, she's in Big-O!"   
"Yes, I know sir. I'm trying to contact to her now…" he said. Just then, Cara appeared on the screen.   
"Roger! Cara squealed, placing both hands on the edge of the screen. "What's happening!?"   
"You're in my robot, Cara." He waited for a gasp, but it never came.   
BANG. The robot collided its fist into the Megadeuce's head. Cara cried out, clearly not in pain but in fear. "Cara," Roger said in to the screen. "You're going to have to fight it."   
"What!?"   
"Listen to me. Slide the control sticks in order to punch, Move the foot pedals to go back and forward!"   
"O-okay…" She replied. She grasped both hands to the control sticks, and slid her right one back. She brought it forward, and produced a small, weak punch.   
"No, Cara! It has to be stronger than that! -" Roger stopped. The Robot had grabbed Big O's Right hand as it attacked, and was crushing it violently. Cara gasped in fear. The robot had the upper hand… She had to do something. Cara slid her left stick back as far as she could go, and brought it gliding with a "whoosh" in front of her. It Worked! The robot flew side ways, and ran in to a building from the effect of the punch. A voice came from the robot, which was on the ground, trying to recover.   
"Roger Smith, This isn't the end," There was a great deal of static, and Cara could only make out a few more words. "Your death will pay my debt, and I will be free!" The robot stood up, and began to power its jetpack on its back. In no time it flew away, and disappeared behind a cloud.   
  
Roger stepped back from the screen. "My death, will end a debt?"   
  
To be continued……   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Flee of the Nightingale

Lamp into the Lonely Heart  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Flee of the Nightingale  
  
As the artificial sunlight creeped in through the blinds, a quiet, slender figure made it's way from one of the many rooms in the Smith household…and found it's way to the piano. Pushing up the cover, the figure rested its thin fingers on the keys for a second—before fully launching into a loud and fast piece, filling the house with sound.  
  
The negotiator himself burst through his bedroom doors to find both Dorothy and Cara on the piano bench, Dorothy minding her playing (though she never messed up) and Cara humming to the melody and raising a pointed finger up and down like a conductor and his baton.  
  
Roger knew that anything he tried to do to silence the piano would be in vain, and he grumpily made his way to the dining room, hopefully a plate of eggs will relieve him of the headache he had—temporarily.  
  
"I still don't understand, Roger, how you do not seem to like my piano playing."  
  
"Dorothy," Roger replied, "When dreaming about something wonderful then to find yourself woken up by Beethoven, it's hardly a matter to like."  
  
"But does not Beethoven intrigue you?"  
  
"Not in the least."  
  
"Then perhaps I should consider myself playing Chopin."  
  
"Raaahh! That's it!"  
  
Roger threw down his fork and stomped out of the dining room. He muttered, "Good thing that old man is gone, that way another poor soul such as myself won't have to find himself striving for a peaceful awakening every morning." Roger then made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.  
  
But not even Roger noticed Dorothy's strange behavior once he left the room. Made with perfect ears, Dorothy heard his remark, and felt a current of electricity rush through her madly. Her hair frizzed up for a moment, and her eyes seemed static and hazy, like that of a TV screen on a bad channel. Her strange fit ceased, almost as quickly as it came.  
  
Roger soon left for another negotiation. Cara left for school, and Norman proceeded with his chores in one of the other rooms. Dorothy however, was not seen as she slipped into the Smith elevator, complete with the coat Roger gave her, food (though she didn't need it) and other things used in running away.  
  
The negotiator came back at lunchtime, and found his faithful butler working on Big O.  
  
"Norman," Roger said with a hint of concern, "have you seen Dorothy lately?"  
  
"Why no sir, I was starting to wonder that myself. Would you like for me to look for her?"  
  
"No. I think she'll turn up. Don't worry about it, Norman."  
  
Roger watched the road in thought as he drover his way to The Speakeasy, the local tavern where he could get a drink—and some information.  
  
"So Roger, I heard that a giant robot threatened kick your bucket for you." Big Ear said with mock concern.  
  
"It's an empty threat, I don't even know the 'assassin's' name." Roger replied as he sat down next to Big Ear.  
  
"You should always fear the unknown, negotiator."  
  
Roger replied with a snort and took a sip of his drink.  
  
"Example?" Roger said after a long sip.  
  
"Seems to me a pretty little nightingale has fled her cage, so to speak. If I were you, you'd want to catch her again, before she ends up someone else's."  
  
Roger slammed his bottle of beer on the table beside him.  
  
"Enough with the metaphors, just tell me out straight."  
  
"Your smart, negotiator, figure it out. In the mean time, I'll try to find out more."  
  
Roger dropped a few rolled up twenties near Big Ear. He quickly covered it up with his newspaper, and lit a cigarette as the negotiator stepped out of The Speakeasy.  
  
Roger walked to the Griffon in silence. Before he could unlock his car, a man brushed up next to him, nearly knocking Roger over. The man sped away and darted in to some empty alley.  
  
The man, out of breath and sweating, reached in to his pocket and pulled out a wallet. He smiled evilly, and looked inside the wallet marked, 'R. S.' He expected to find a dozen twenties, but all that was there was a card saying, 'Better Luck Next Time.' The man's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"You know less and less people are carrying wallets in their back pockets these days."  
  
The man looked up. There standing in front him was Roger. Roger smirked sarcastically.  
  
"A front breast pocket always does nicely."  
  
The man, now apparently very surprised and annoyed, threw the fake wallet at Roger and took off running through the alley. Roger chased him.  
  
"You little crook, where do you think your going?" Roger smiled in spite of himself. This was almost like his police days.  
  
The man made it halfway through the alley and stepped on a wicker basket, crushing it. He kept on going, but as for Roger, he ceased when he saw the basket.  
  
"Dorothy…she was…here…"  
  
Roger looked up when he heard the distant sound of a roar in the skies. He took off his sunglasses, and in the blank white of the clouds, a flying figure was seen from far away. It left a trail of white far behind it.  
  
"The Red Megadeus…"  
  
Roger dropped his sunglasses and ran to his car.  
  
  
  
Roger came home in a hurry afterwards. As soon as he walked in from the elevator, Cara rushed up to him holding a piece of paper and a concerned look on her face.  
  
"Someone left this, I came home from school and found it here."  
  
Roger took it and thanked Cara. He read it out loud to himself,  
  
"Meet us in the #4 warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Bring no one else."  
  
Roger crumpled the paper in his gloved hands and walked in to the elevator.  
  
The sound of tires against asphalt made a crunching sound as Roger drove up to the warehouse. He stepped out with a cross look on his face, and walked inside cautiously. From behind some dumpsters, a man appeared. His face was concealed with a handkerchief, and his voice sounding like he was pinching his nose. "Go all the way to #6 warehouse. No tricks."  
  
Roger obeyed, and walked the length to the sixth warehouse and, prying the door open peered through the darkness. When his eyes focused with the dark interior of the warehouse, he saw a huge round block of metal, and a figure appeared to be strapped to it—no, it was attached to it without and bindings. Only a certain thing could be metallically attached to it…  
  
"Dorothy!" Roger yelled. He ran up to the large round hunk of metal and stared at Dorothy with confused eyes. He then heard the click of a gun behind him, and turned around.  
  
A shadowed figure creeped from one of the corners of the warehouse. As the light reached him, Roger felt himself more and more confused.  
  
"Max?"  
  
The man leveled the gun at Roger and spoke with a strong voice.  
  
"Sorry Roger, but if I am to be able to live again, some one has to give up their life. You have been volunteered."  
  
He then walked in between Roger and Dorothy, still aiming the gun at Roger's heart. Roger was infront of Max with a confused look on his face; Dorothy kept the same emotionless countenance as she looked over Max's shoulder.  
  
Roger tried to stall Max with a few questions.  
  
"Is this the real reason as to why you closed down the negotiation?"  
  
"I had no choice. I had a much better offer."  
  
"Why?" Roger said narrowing his eyes at him.  
  
"Justice is now full of holes, negotiator. I can't be let go of my debts without them spilling out in a million different directions. Everyone would know. If I kill you, you who have foiled so many plans for fortune and power, The Group will have nothing else to worry about. With this doll here, it made the perfect bait!"  
  
Max now narrowed his eyes and a devilish grin grew on his face.  
  
"If I kill you, my debts will vanish, and I will be free from the contract of The Group!"  
  
With a slight grimace, Max pulled the trigger, and Roger felt the oncoming doom upon him.  
  
  
  
But the bullet did a miraculous thing. It seemed to hang in mid air, and was steadily being pulled backwards. Max was at first astounded, then started to flail his arms back and forth as the bullet began to sail towards him with increasing speed. It hit him in the leg; blood splattered in all directions as Max fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, clutching his leg in agony. Roger felt a relieved sigh escape him, and realized, the magnet! It had attracted the bullet! Speaking of magnets, Roger rushed past Max over towards Dorothy, and began to look for a switch. He soon found a large lever, and knowing that was definitely the switch pushed it over to the other side. Dorothy slipped off the magnet with ease, and found her place beside Roger.  
  
"Dorothy…" Roger started.  
  
"Roger, I must say I am sorry for leading you to such danger."  
  
Roger shook his head.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing. Come on, let's go."  
  
They both began to make their way out of the warehouse, until—  
  
"Not—so fast!"  
  
They turned around in perfect unison to find Max aim the gun at Roger. He was leaning on his good leg and wincing horribly.  
  
"This time, negotiator, the bullet will not fail in finding its target. The magnet has been deactivated."  
  
Dorothy walked calmly infront of Roger and shielded him. She looked determined, as if it were her duty.  
  
Roger stammered. She's actually…? This is madness…it's not in her programming…He then stared forward, still in disbelief.  
  
Max had no time to even think about pulling the trigger when all of a sudden a loud CRASH was heard as bricks and debris started to fly everywhere. When the dust settled, a small rider was astride a huge motorbike. In its little seat beside it was an even smaller rider. Both took off their helmets to reveal Norman at the wheel and Cara at the side. Both looked extremely serious. This gave Roger the chance to activate the missiles from his car to sail at the magnet.  
  
"Come on! Hurry!"  
  
Dorothy and Roger both jumped on the motorbike, or where ever there was room, and Norman jumpstarted the engine to life. They were safely out of the warehouse when the magnet and all its machinery exploded.  
  
Later on, Roger was standing on the large balcony looking over the city. Dorothy sat beside him, closer than when they first stared at the city together.  
  
"Max Middleton…an ex-cop that had apparently gone corrupt, was being a source for money and information for several years after his retirement. While he and I were in the force, The Group was a gang of scoundrels that had managed to get and edge over the years. They never forgot what Max and I had done to them as partners. We rounded up crook after crook, and stopped many plans before they were actually made a reality. The Group haunted Max even after he retired, having to give in to their demands. When he found out The Group wanted me dead, he eagerly agreed to go the extra mile, in exchange that they forgot all the times he had spoiled them while on the force. Max was weak like that…."  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Dorothy said, ending Roger's reverie.  
  
"Just about mainly…what you did today." Roger replied. "I don't understand why you…tried to save me."  
  
"I was only trying to protect the one I hired to protect me. Besides, Middleton wanted you dead, Roger."  
  
Roger sighed a bit, then stared out in to the city once again.  
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
"Yes, Roger?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
WE HAVE COME TO TERMS  
  
MORE CHAPTERS SOON. 


	5. Inheritance of Destiny

Chapter 5  
  
"Welcome home, Miss Cara. I hope school went well." said Norman bowing politely as Cara walked out of the Smith elevator.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Burg." Cara responded with a faint smile on her face. She knew Norman insisted that she call him by his first name, but habit got in the way of her every after noon. There was a short pause, then both gave a polite laughter, some inside joke that was beginning to form between them. "Where's Roger?" asked Cara as she collapsed in to a comfortable chair, undoing her tie.  
  
"He and Miss Dorothy went to visit a client thirty minutes before you came home," Norman replied as he slipped a tray of tea on to the coffee table in front of Cara. "I beleive that it had something to do with your episode with Big-O." Cara picked up a teacup and, blowing on the surface to cool it down, stared ahead in thought. But after a short minute, she felt compelled to ask something.  
  
"Mr. Burg, just exactly how did Roger come by that machine? I've heard about these super technological beings before, back at the Hayley 167 but..." Cara then felt a flush of nostalgia hit her with the mention of her old home. It had been at least two months since then, and she thought she could push the distant memory to the back of her mind. But while this city that she now lives in has lost memory, she seems to have a hurtful abundance of it. It always pained her, especially at night when she would dream about her parents and friends...  
  
"Miss Cara, I'm surprised," Norman said in a strange tone. "that it has been at least two months since that incident and you haven't inquired about it yet."  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Burg, but I have been debating with myself for all that time whether to ask or not," Cara took a sip of tea now that it was finally cool. "and I wonder just how such a thing exists, and in Roger's hands none- the-less." Norman seemed to think about this response for a while. Such an inquisitive girl, with a strong longing for the truth. And after having to pilot the Megadeuce herself, she deserved to know, not to mention needing to know that the Megadeuce that day allowed her to pilot it.  
  
"Well, Miss Cara, I beleive it all started a long time ago when Master Roger was very young. His parents had just died in a strange explosion and was whisked of to some academy for a year or so. When he returned, I was placed as a guardian to Master Roger. His parents had generously left him their life's earnings...."  
  
----------- The young dark haired boy quietly entered the room. He placed both arms beside himself like a rigid soldier, looking around timidly. The younger Norman stood there in front of him with a kind, watchful eyes. (At that time he had two of them.) The boy looked left and right before saying hello to the tall, mountain-like butler.  
  
"Why hello, Master Roger" The boy blinked for a second.  
  
"Master...?" Norman chuckled softly and bent down to reach the Roger's eye level.  
  
"Yes, that's right Master Roger. I'm here to serve you now that you live here by yourself."  
  
----------- "I see." said Cara after Norman finished. "So that's how you met Roger...but sir, what about--"  
  
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot, that's not how Roger inherited Big-O." said Norman. Cara nearly squeaked in surprise.  
  
"Roger inherited it?"  
  
------------- "Mr. Burg," said a voice. Norman stood straight and tall, looking at the silhouetted figure sitting before him. "You are the gaurdian of a certain boy by the name of Roger Smith am I correct?" Norman's only reply was a faint nod.  
  
"I have intrusted unto him a superior piece of technology that far surpasses any that we have been able to create, that is, since The Event. It was buried deep beneath this city, and my records show that when I was entrusted to him for a year, he showed signs of being capable of piloting it." Norman's eyes widened.  
  
"Mr. Rosewater, is this really something that is nessesary towards the boy's well-being?" The figure stood from its chair slowly. It made its way to the light in a small, calm movement. The figure was Gordon Rosewater.  
  
"You, Norman Burg, fought against the deities in the war when you were only fourteen am I right? Right after the event, when those beings arose from whence they came, you aided in the war somewhat, being not even a man. In a few years this boy will reach half the age you were at that time. As times change, people become more efficient, and this boy is more than capable." Norman gave a short bow and said,  
  
"Please forgive me, I will make sure that it is done, Mr. Rosewater." Norman turned to leave.  
  
"The boy will need your help, however." Rosewater stated. Norman stopped in his tracks and turned to face Rosewater once more. "I am giving you memories on how to repair it, don't think that your services are over yet."  
  
--------- "So...that's how it came about..." Cara said, finishing her tea. Norman gave a quiet smile.  
  
"I hope you forgive me on the history lesson, Miss Cara, but I felt you should have known..."  
  
"Known what exactly...?"  
  
"How Roger now has a destiny to fulfil, and you may be a key in it. It is still a mystery why someone other than Roger was allowed to pilot Big-O."  
  
Cara looked down a second before taking a sigh. She looked toward the windows that showed the patio, the one that Roger and Dorothy looked over the city ever night with together.  
  
"...Destiny....."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.... 


End file.
